The Fight to Stop the Slave Trade: The West Africa Squadron

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the West Africa Squadron, the Royal Navy force that sought to suppress the Atlantic slave trade after Britain's 1807 abolition. They trace its origins in the African Institution, the early frustrations of patrolling a 3,000-mile coast, and the legal loopholes that allowed slavers to escape. The conversation moves through key figures like George Ralph Collier, the first commodore, and the tense confrontations with Spanish and Portuguese traders who still operated legally. They discuss the court system in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where condemned slaves were liberated, and the mixed outcomes for those freed. The episode also touches on the squadron's later crackdown in the 1830s and 1840s, the infamous 'fast-sailing' clippers built to outrun it, and the political pressure from Brazil and the United States. Lucas and Luna consider the moral complexity of enforcing abolition through naval power, the squadron's role in pushing the trade to the Indian Ocean, and its eventual legacy. They reflect on what it meant for the British Empire to fight slavery while profiting from other forms of colonial exploitation. This is a nuanced look at a decisive yet imperfect chapter in the long history of abolition. #WestAfricaSquadron #RoyalNavy #SlaveTrade #Abolition #SierraLeone #Freetown #GeorgeRalphCollier #NavalHistory #AtlanticHistory #19thCentury #BritishEmpire #Slavery #MaritimeHistory #AfricanHistory #History #FexingoHistory #WorldHistory #Imperialism Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo